Mises Wire

There Can Be No Compromise

One of Ludwig von Mises’s most important political speeches is our year-end gift for donors! Receive this beautifully printed minibook to enjoy yourself, or to give to friends or family.

Throughout his life, Mises was criticized — by allies and foes alike — for his unwillingness to compromise his principles. Unlike other great scholars like Milton Friedman or even F.A. Hayek, Mises refused to ever justify the schemes of government central planners, and rejected “second best” solutions that ceded power to those in the halls of Washington.

Why? Simple. He knew there could be no compromise between the market and the state.

In this essay, originally delivered as a speech in 1950, Mises eviscerates the arguments for allegedpragmatic compromise and explains how every state intervention in the economy is a step toward socialism. Without a doubt, this is one of the most important contributions Mises made to American political thought, and one that is as important now as ever before.

Donate $25 or more to the Mises Institute in December, or begin a monthly recurring gift of any amount, to receive your free copy of this historic speech and help us carry on Ludwig von Mises’s legacy. Please donate today. (Already made a gift in December? Don’t worry — we will include you in this offer.) Your copy will be mailed in January.

The Mises Institute works to advance the Austrian School of economics and the Misesian tradition, and defends the market economy, private property, sound money, and peaceful international relations, while opposing state intervention.